The German Animal Welfare Federation and the Hamburg Animal Welfare Federation of 1841 (HTV) are appealing to Hamburg MPs to approve the motion by the Hamburg Green and SPD parliamentary groups to establish pigeon lofts around Hamburg's major railroad stations. Professionally managed pigeon houses are the only sustainable solution to help urban pigeons and regulate their population. According to the proposal, three supervised pigeon lofts are to be built at the main railway station and in Altona, where the eggs can be exchanged for dummies. Over a period of three years, up to 350,000 euros per year will be made available for this purpose. The Hamburg Parliament will decide on the red-green proposal at its meeting on March 13.
"Hamburg now has the chance to set the right standards for sustainable pigeon protection. This would make the city a role model for others who are still lagging behind when it comes to urban pigeons - like Limburg," says Katrin Pichl, expert on urban pigeons at the German Animal Welfare Federation. At the same time, the Hanseatic city would be fulfilling its municipal duty to take care of the stray animals. "Urban pigeons are feral pets and Hamburg must not abandon them," says Janet Bernhardt, 1st Chairwoman of the HTV. In her view, managed pigeon lofts, where the pigeons are cared for and their population contained at the same time, would be "a win-win situation for everyone" - regardless of whether you like pigeons or not. "We very much welcome the initiative and very much hope that the motion will be passed," says Bernhardt.
In managed pigeon lofts, the animals are given species-appropriate food and places to breed, which means they mainly stay close to the loft and spend less time foraging, reducing conflicts with humans. The eggs laid are removed and replaced with dummies - an important measure for a reduced and healthier pigeon population. The concept - known as the "Augsburg model" - has proven to be the most sustainable solution. In many places, the care and control of pigeon lofts is carried out by local animal welfare associations and volunteers, who are often faced with limited resources and a lack of financial support. From the animal welfare activists' point of view, it is therefore all the more welcome that the Hamburg proposal provides for the involvement of local pigeon and animal welfare associations as advisory institutions in addition to financial resources.
Note to editors: The German Animal Welfare Federation has been dispelling prejudices for years with its #RespektTaube campaign and is campaigning for an animal-friendly approach to urban pigeons. More information at: www.tierschutzbund.de/taubenschutz
